Harrison County, Tx Griner vs Griner
Submitted by Sara Rollins SRol786334@aol.com
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The Divorce
Seteria A. Griner District Court of Harrison County
VS State of Texas September ??? 1856
William G. Griner
page 1
To the Hon. W.W. Morris, judge of the 6th Judicial District of the State of Texas
Your petitioner Seteria Ann Griner a citizen of the county and state aforesaid
complaining showeth unto your honor that she is the current wife of the def-
endant William G. Griner two citizens said county and state with whom she
has lived under all the vicissitudes of life for about 19 years during which time
she has even conducted herself as a chaste and virtuous lady performing all the
various and manifest duties towards the defendant and their children incident
to the spouse relations she bore him in the most exempliary manner and in the
mean time has become the mother of four children the sexes whom all girls to
wit: Priscilla E. Sojourner the wife of Thomas J. Sojourner, Bethany Knight and
Seteria A.W. Griner are still alive this last 12 and the other unmarried daughter 14
years of age.
That instead of her exemplary conduct and example softening this marriage
of her said husband he has ever proven himself both as a citizen and a husband
and abroad at home a man of a perverse turbulant and unhappy dispositition
and has seemed to make is a great part of the business of his life to render those
around him like himself wretched and unhappy coming a time in the course
of this married life has he left your petitioner to provide for herself and both
children and several small negros unable to aid her and remains absent from
home for months at a time on no known business or without any informing your
petitioner where he was or for what purpose he was absent while she and this
family were reduced to great extremity in so much that at times the only
bread for all of them was the meal ground or with Seterianns own hands on a
steel mill a hardship to which in the earlier part of her life she hast from this
manner of her raising been wholly unfitted . That when at home his life has been
one of tumult and broils with his neighbors around him in so
much that several times in the course of his life he has had to break up suddenly
and at great sacrifice of property fly to a distant region to escape the indignation
and punishment to most of an outraged neighborhood to the great discomfort and
distress of your petitioner and children. That his precipitate flight to Texas (in
which he abondoned his farm with a growing crop on it with other property he
could not remove all of which was afterwards seized and sold at a great
scacifice to satisfy this judgement in this case) Was occasioned by a suit
in heavy damages for slandering a neighbor. again his removal to this
county was on the notice, of the people in the neighborhood that for his mis-
conduct he must quit farming this county, his residence in this state.
page 2
That during all these trials and applications so outrageous to a wife she has
followed up and clung to her said husband with this utmost fidelity and devotion.
That in return for all these sacrifices of comfort and of womanly pride and
feelings she has received at his hands for years past a course of
ill treatment in innumerable ways took his misbehavior towards others about and
around his person that a very faint and imperfect index. In so much that this
instead of a place consecrated to peace and domestic fidelity has
been converted by him into an abode of discord and a perfect torment
to your petitioner.
Your petitioner charges her said husband William G. Griner with being guilty of
excess cruel treatment and outrageous conduct toward her and that such
ill treatment is of such a nature as to render their living together wholly
unsupportable.
Your petitioner charges this said defendant with having witnessed
published and circulated at sundry times and to diverse persons in Harrison
and Cass Counties Texas and in this town of Jefferson during this
spring of 1856 and this neighborhood around about where your petitioner
is well known and has ever been esteemed a chaste and virtuous lady the most
sorely false and injurous slanders upon the character and good names of
your petitioner as a woman of chaste and virtuous conduct.
That he accused your petitioner to others and circulated the
report that petitioner has been guilty of illicit carnal intercourse with her
said son in law, the man who, but a few months ago married with the approbation
of both parents their eldest daughter and with whom so far as petitioner knows
he has ever lived in harmony. That charge is doubly false unnatural and cruelly
inhuman and calculated to destroy not only the peace and happiness of the
family that of his own daughter, as well as your petitioner but to blast
the hopes and propects, and comes with infamy and disgrace
for their two younger daughters now approaching their
womanhood. That when taxed with the guilt of such injureous conduct he
admitted circulating such report and its falsehood and raised his hand in act to
strike petitioner and would have done it to his wife had she not caught his
arm to prevent him.
That after this he remained on the place for sometime and she betook herself for
safety and protection at night to the room of her daughter and son in law, who
resided in the same house having after his marriage until his force with those of
defendant and taken charge of all to make a crop on shares that for suffering this
the said defendant has authorized ??????? the solution to kill their son in law or
said he would or might be killed that having no relations near and no place handy
the defendant at length unable to drive himself ???????????
page 3
but looked about in the neighborhood near
and returned to the premises at night and concealed himself as petitioner
is informed by slipping under the house. That unable to do better and yet
unable to indure this state of existance longer she sent ten dollars on
Saturday this 26th of April last for legal counsil and asks as to what was
best to be done in the premises that the said defendant so petitioner
believes appraised of affairs of this returned to the place at night and took
off and started for parts unknown with the property separate and common
that he could lay his hands on or control.
Petitioner charges that this said defendant at the time defendant took and
carried off from the premises to some region unknown to your petitioner
the following property to wit: 1. negro man maned Handy about 20
years old of black color and worth $1500..A negro girl named Creasy of black
complection about 16 years old and very likely worth $1200. Jordan a black
boy about 12 years old and worth $900. Also two valuable mules one of them
petitioners saddle mule, worth $550.These two valuable horses worth $125. each
or $375. as of the very last of August with his
wagon and yoke of oxen?. He took off also at the same time in addition to this
common property before mentioned the following separate property claiming
and held by your petitioner in her own support to wit: Suttie of black color about
20 years old and her two children Louise about 5 years old and Ann about 2
worth altogether $1800.
The said defendant took off also the title papers to all the various tracts of land
owned by himself and petitioner in common as herinafter mentioned.
Petitioner is informed by the purchasers, who came for his clothing that the said
defendant has sold the woman Suttie and her youngest child for whom he has
already received $600. in part having a balance yet unpaid of $500. in the hands of
Brother Weatherford the forechosen.
That said defendant holds in his house the note of William Ford on which is yet
unpaid about $600. being a balance of the purchase money for 374 acres of land
situated in Smith County purchased of Sograve and owned by
petitioner and husband as common property.
That the defendant holds claims considerable amount on other persons to wit;
David Hill of Smith Co.Texas $250. Peter I.Z.Boon but on whom or the precise amounts
she cannot state. Petitioner shows that she and defendant own as common property
all of which is paid for and unemcumbered the following tracts
or parcels of land to wit:
1st The residence or homestead consisting of 270 acres a part of the headright of
Rudolph Voyles conveyed by Rudolph Voyles December 18, 1847 and worth
$5.00 per acre or about $1400.
page 4
2nd Another tract of 33 acres of land, common property a part of the headright
of James Earp and transferred by defendant at the sherriff's sale of Andrew
J. Page estate both tracts situated in Harrison County between the cypresses
some 12 miles north of Mondale the last mentioned to me is worth about $3.
per acre or the sum of $960.
3rd Another tract of 640 acres common property the former homestead or residence
of petitioner and husband within 4 miles of the town of Bonham in Fannin County
in this state being the headrightof William Onstat and is worth about $5.00 per
acre or $3200.
4th Another section of 640 acres in the same county about 12 miles from Bonham
in the neighborhood of Brawley and it being the headright of Alsey Fuller
being common property and worth $3.00 per acre or about $1920.
Petitioner verily believes it to be the purpose and intention of said defendant
to sell and dispose of all the property he can make way with land as well as negros
and thus deprive your petitioner of the means of support and their children
now arrived at an age that will not admit of delay all appropriations securing an
education.
Petitioner would show that in addition to the common property taken off as
aforesaid and the land, all of which is in a wild and unproductive state except
120 acres? of the homestead this said defendant left on the premises the following
property. 1 old mare and cold worth some $125. 2nd about 20 head of cattle worth
about $100. 3rd about 18 head of hogs worth $20. 4th Farming tools worth $25. and
blacksmith tools worth about $50.
The building and furnishings about the house is the separate from part of your
petitioner. She was also in her own right a negro woman named Hancet about
25 years old and her four children John 6 Rebecca 5 Frank 4 and Mack 1 year old
worth altogether $2000. which constitutes all the property owned either jointly
or separately by defendant and your petitioner.
That dedendant owed no debts to the knowledge of your petitioner at the time
he went off.
For a more full and perfect discription of said several tracts of land from
number 1 to 5 inclusive petitioner registers the field notes and the copies of the
conveyance the defendant having the originals in his possession
which will be filed as a part of the suit so soon as they can be
procured from the proper offices.
page 5
Your petitioner therupon prays the premises considered that the court and a final
hearing of the cause shall adjudge and decree her to be awarded from the bonds
of matrimony and from thence forward released from all the duties and obligations
of the marriage relations with and towards the said defendant. That the said court
order and decree fair and just account and division of the property aforesaid
and decree, set apart and assign over to your petitioner her just and legal
share thenupon,of these properties and in as much as the said defendant
has sold and disposed of a part of the separate property and taken off with him
more to wit the said woman Settie and her two children and taken off
and appropriated to himself a large amount of their common property to which
your petitioner is legally intitled. She prays that a just and fair compensation
may be decided thereupon to your petitioner out of the common property of the
defendant.
Petitioner prays that she be allowed to have or retain the custody of the two
children and superintend their education or best she can and in as
much so the said defendant her taken off all the active and working part of the
property to wit: Handy a negro man Settie a negro woman, Creasy a stout girl of
16 and Jordan a large boy of 12 years old whose hire in the aggragation
to be worth $600.a year together with all the mules and horses aforesaid and
oxen and wagon being all the property capable of farming anything for the
support of the samily, the said woman Harriet being hardly able to earn her own
expenses as that of her four small children, your petitioner prays that the said
defendant be required and decreed to pay over annually as often as twice a
year until this suit is finally decided such sum of money for the support and
maintainance of your petitioner and chldren as may seem right and proper.
Petitioner prays that said defendant be decreed to pay all costs and expenses
incurred by her in and about her said suit and for all such other and further
relief in the premises as both in the law and the equity of this case may
belong and or in duty bound your petitioner will ever pray.
J. Marshall
Attorney for petitioner